BURROUGHS, Edgar Rice (1875–1950). Swords of Mars. Tarzana: Burroughs, [1936].
8vo. Frontispiece and 4 plates by J. Allen St. John. Original blue cloth, front board and spine stamped in orange (spine toned, rubbed and creased, some rubbing, soiling to boards, text toned with occasional soiling, front hinge just starting, a few gutters overopened); original (unlaminated) dust jacket (jacket spine sunned, chipped, and worn, jacket panels edgeworn, soiled, some larger creased tears to front jacket panel, a few scratches to jacket).
FIRST EDITION. At the time this title was first written between November 6, 1933, and December 15, 1933, Zeuschner notes that the marriage between ERB and his first wife, Emma, was coming to an end with ERB finally moving out in 1934. 14 months later, ERB would be married to his second wife, Florence Gilbert. This is interesting to note because “Burroughs carefully arranged the hardcover text so that the first letter of the first word in the Preface and the 24 separate chapters form an acrostic: “To Florence with all My Love, Ed”. Currey, p. 91; Zeuschner pp. 308–309.